Device for synthesizing gases.



W. SIEBERT.

DEVICE FOR SYNTHESIZING GASES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1910.

l,73,70. Patented Sept. 23, 1913.

STATS armers srnnnn'r, or nnE Nrn nnN, Germany, ess enon To EL KTRQGHEMI$GHE wanna, G. M. 13. 11., on enemy, GERMANY, A cpnron'er onor GERMANY.

t tes-"zopeciflcation of Letters Ijatent.

Patented Sept.23;, 1913.

Original application filed April 9, 1309, S r N 8,. 23- Div ed and. this application fil d May 19, 1.910- fieri lm- 5.6%77.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WERNER SIEBERT, a

v subject of the King of Prussia, residing at Rheinfelden, Baden, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Synthesizin the followin is a specification.

My inventlon relates to a further development of the method described in my application for Letters Patent for Improvements in devices for synthesizing gases, filed February 5, .1908, Serial No. 414318, and the present application is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 488828, filed April 9, 1909, Devices for synthesizing gases. In my aforesaid application'Serial No. 414,318 I have described a method for synthesizing gases such as nitrogen compounds by electrical flame discharges, which are caused to rotate in the ring-shaped space between an outer and an inner electrode by the air. driven through the furnace by a ventilator fan or by pipes or nozzles tangentially arranged. The diskshaped flame discharges produced between concentric conducting rings can be formed not only by electric currents at a tension of several thousand volts, as mentioned in that application, but also by electric currents of more than 50 amperes at a tension of several hundred volts, say 300 to 400 volts. The minimum appliable tension of the current depends upon the distance between the electrodes. This distance is for example about from 9 to 10 centimeters for a curfrent of about 60 amperes at a tension of 200 volts, and about from 13 to 14 centimeters for a current of 100 to 150 amperes at a tension of 350 volts.

According to my present invention flame discharges having the form of a double cone are produced between two rod-shaped electrodes. I will proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows diagrammatically a section on line C-D of Fig. 2, and Fig. 2 shows diagrammatically a section on line A-B of Fig. 1, of a furnace suitable for carrying out my new method.

The cylindrical furnace a is preferabl lined with a highly refractory materia Air is introduced into the furnace by means of pipes or nozzles 0 tangentially ar- Gases, of which ranged on both sides. For starting the furnace the two rod-shaped-electrodes Z which are alined and pass through the opposite sides of the furnace are brought into contact, after which they are moved away from one another, While the resistance inserted into the circuit is correspondingly reduced. The flame arising between the electrodes will then assume of itself the double cone shape indicated in outlines in the drawing and will considerably extend through a narrow annular opening provided midway in the furnace wall into the chamber m surrounding the furnace, where the escaping gases may be a propriately chilled by means of suitable cooling pipes. The chilled gases are sucked ofi through the pipe h.

The described method and apparatus render possible the formation of extensive flames with low pressure currents, the results obtained being amazing, especially in View of the fact that one versed in the art would not expect to produce a stable arc of more than 50 centimeters in length at a tension as low as 300 to 400 volts, merely by introducing air tangentially to the surface of revolution of the are by means of tangentially arranged nozzles or the like. The mentioned employment of large currents at low tension further produces quite considerable and essential advantages for the purpose of gas reactions. Comparative trials have shown that the flame discharge can have a larger surface area by this method than can be obtained with the same amount of energy at high tension. Therefore a greater quantity of air or other gases can be passed through the furnace and an output larger than is possible by the other method can be obtained.

What I claim as new is l. The method of producing in furnaces electric flame discharges having the form of surfaces of revolution, which consists in striking an are between two electrodes, drawing out the are by gradually separating the electrodes, and simultaneously causing the arc to be rapidly rotated between the electrodes and an intermediate out-let opening in the furnace.

2. The method of producing in furnaces electric flame discharges having the form of surfaces of revolution, which consists in striking an are between two electrodes,

drawing out the arc by gradually separating the electrodes, and simultaneously causing the arc to be rapidly rotated between-the electrodes and an intermediate outlet opening in the furnace, by impinging streams of gas on the arc tangentially to its surfaces of revolution.

3. The method of producing in furnaces electric flame discharges having the form of surfaces of revolution, which consists in striking an are between two electrodes, drawing out the are by gradually separating the electrodes,and simultaneously causing the arc to be rapidly rotated between the electrodes and an intermediate outlet opening in the furnace by impinging the gases to be synthesized on said arc tangentially to its surfaces of revolution.

4:. The method of producing in furnaces electric flame discharges of double'conical form, which consists in striking an a-rc between two electrodes, drawing out the are by gradually separating the electrodes and causing the arc to be rapidly rotated be tween the electrodes and an intermediate outlet opening in the furnace.

5. In an electric flame discharge furnace, two electrodes, an outlet opening in the furnace intermediate of the ends of the electrodes, and means for rapidly rotating an are formed between the electrodes, whereby the arc is caused to assume the form of surfaces of revolution.

6. In an electric flame discharge furnace, two electrodes adapted to be moved into and out of contact with each other within the furnace, an outlet opening in the furnace intermediate of the ends thereof, and means for introducing gases tangentially to thesurfaces of revolution of an are formed between the electrodes and the opening.

7. In an electric flame discharge furnace, two electrodes adapted to be moved into and out of contact with each other within the furnace, an outlet opening in the furnace intermediate of the ends of the electrodes, inlets for the gases to be synthesized arranged tangentially to' the surfaces of revolution of an are formed between the electrodes and the opening.

8. An electric flame discharge furnace vcomprising an outer shell, two electrodes projecting within said shell from opposite ends and adapted to be moved into and out of contact with each other, a plurality of inlets arranged tangentially to the surfaces of revolution of an arc formed between said electrodes, and an outlet opening in the furnace intermediate of the ends of. the electrodes for the discharge of the gases. 

